Quite a few seal pups are still hanging around West Seattle’s shore as we head even closer to the holiday season and the thermometer takes a dip. A relatively chubby pup, nicknamed Noel, has found a favorite rock to rest upon for the past several days until high tide forces him to return to Elliott Bay.

Noel was first observed in the rain on Tuesday after the hotline received a call. Noel seems to be having success foraging, but did have some coughing spells that first day. Volunteers have not noticed any coughing since then, so it is our fervent hope that he does not have any respiratory issues.

As our responder stood on the pier observing Noel that first day, she noticed another pup sleeping and drifting carefree in the water just a few feet away. A darker pup, she wondered if it could be Sealy Dan, the hitchhiking pinniped, but spot comparisons in photos show it is not. So, we have lots of little seal visitors in our waters to look after.

Tags: Noel, Sealy Dan